The onyx

[Hazel]

''We have been traveling so long'', He thought. "Trudging up the snow capped hills for so long, will we find the shelter we search for?" Looking back they never really had anything, even in the prosperous town they came from. It had been so long, they had forgotten why, or when they decided to leave. They could only remember the reason, and could not forgive themselves for it. He remembered with clarity that day, wishing to keep himself moving lest he rest in the snow. It had been a warm sunny day, the flowers had just started to bloom, and the birds coming back. Life was good for what he had. He was of normal height, just being able to reach what he could without the help of a stool. His face was soft, with a messy cap of Auburn hair. He wore but the meagerest of clothing, made from sacks that had holes in them and were of no use. He was traveling to his home, a mere shack made from the barest of materials and just barely standing. It was a normal walk home through the woods, until he met her.

"I never wished this to happen." She thought, staring at the ground as she followed him. They were supposed to arrive any day now, but that was months ago. Perhaps she was wrong about this. Maybe they could turn back? She looked up, snow dancing through her vision on him. "Maybe I have led him astray, for all I've made him go through? This whole plan has been spiralling out of control since I met him that day." She looked back down, remembering it. She had been running through the forest. Trying to find someone, anyone to help her. Her dress was getting caught and torn from catching on the shrubs and bushes from the forest floor. It was made from a fine silk, with a blazing red color. She was never for dresses, but today was different and unexpected. Her hair had started coming undone, falling back into a trail of black. If only she had something that would allow her to get through here faster. She normally wore things that didn't stick to her but weren't too baggy. Her body was thin, with a face that she never shared. I t was not that she was to be very sought after, she had always made sure no one saw her face from fear of being recognized. This is the only time she had ever shown her face to someone, and they had know who tat face belonged to. They were after her now, some where just out of sight watching. She knew that they wouldn't take her if she found some one that didn't know her, recognize her. That was what she was running for now, to find some one to save her.

He had heard rustling coming from the bushes to his side. Hoping that it wasn't a bear or some other animal, he readied himself. Bursting through the bushes cam a woman, a frantic look upon her face. "Please help me!" She cried as she ran towards him. He was stunned as this woman ran toward him, grabbed his arm and hid behind him. Looking around for something. He didn't know what to do at all. "What's the hurry from such a lady as yourself?" He said, taking in what had just happened. "These men are after me, they wanted to take me away!" She said, still looking around, searching for them. "There doesn't seem to be anyone following you, miss. Perhaps they stopped awhile ago?" He said. Looking at her now, her clothes were torn. Such a nice dress ruined from running through the forset, how long exactly was she running?

She thought she would never have found some one.  Releasing his arm, and taking a step back she finally took in the details of the man she had stumbled upon. He looked like some one that worked in the fields all day, but his face said some thing different entirely. It wasn't hard from the sun or long hours doing the manual labor you expect them to do. His was different, but she didn't understand what was. "They were there, I think I was just running from them so long I didn't bother to look back." She said, trying to catch her breath. She knew better though, they were still there watching. Now they knew where she was, and would follow her to the ends of the earth to get her. "Thank you though, if they were still they would have given up when they saw some one else," she said with a warm smile. He looked like he was still stunned from her sudden appearance though the woods.

"What was a lady like her running through the forset wearing a dress like that?" He though curiously, watching as she tried to smooth her dress out. "You're welcome, but what  were they after that they were chasing you through the woods for?" He asked, wondering what a pretty girl had that they would chase after her for, besides her beauty that is. She had long black hair that had bits of foliage and things in it from running through the forset. Her red dress was torn heavily, though it was very much intact. Her body was thing, and her face was strange. Her face was a normal face, and very much beautiful from it. "I had been going for a walk through the forest when these men came from out of no where and tried to grab me. I ran as fast as I could, they were yelling after me trying to get me to stop." she said, looking at the ground."I think they wanted this pendant, but I dint know." She reached into here pocket pulling out a pendant. It was chained with gold, with a onyx stone set in the gold.It was beautiful, and probably worth three times it's weight in gold. "hope fully this will be a good enough story, who wouldn't believe it?" she thought, hoping he would.

She took a step towards him, showing him the amulet. She raised it so that the sun could hit it, It seemed to bend the light in a strange way. "This makes absolutely no sense" He thought as he looked at it. I was beautiful, a true meaning of the word. He couldn't take his eyes off how it seemed to bend the light around it. The way it seemed to glow, but without light, without a dark. He was transfixed. "This amulet, why would you carry it alone through the woods?" He said. "it's no wonder the men were chasing you for it." She put it away after a few moment of looking at it. "Yes, it's a very old amulet that was given to me as a child", she said." I never go any where without it."  He looked at her for a moment, is this really happening? A woman running through a forest in a tattered dress, with a amulet that was like no other? Was this really happening? "Perhaps you should get home? The hour grows late, and it shall soon be dark." He said. But that was so long ago, when it as warm and it was peaceful.

They continued through the snow, climbing the slope of a hill. Slipping and sliding down, they eventually get to its' top. They both stood there, watching as the snow fell around them wondering what they were going to do.